Mobile aggregate-handling unit



J J. WILLARD ET AL MOBILE AGGREGATE- HANDLING UNIT Jan. 30, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1, 1947 NN MM 5 m n e D nu 3 CARL 4. W/LLAEO q JA CK W/LL/IRO (Ittorneg Jan. 30, 1951 J J. WILLARD ET AL- MOBILE AGGREGATE-HANDLING UNIT Filed May 1, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zinnenfors CHE! L. W/LL/l/QD J JACK W/LLAED Gttorneg Jan. 30, 1951 J J. WILLARD ET AL 2,539,939

MOBILE AGGREGATE-HANDLING UNIT Filed May 1, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Snventors CARL L. W/LZAEO J JACK W/LL/LQD (Ittorneg Patented Jan. 30, 1951 -MOBILE AGGREGATE-HANDLING UNIT J Jack Willard and Carl L; Willard, Lyn'wood, Calif,

Application May 1, 1947, Serial No. 745,160

1 Claim. I

Thisv invention relates to a mobile unit for handling aggregate or like material and contemplates a portable. unit whereby a single operator, from a control position, can collect such material, weigh the same, transport it to a point of disposal and dump it at that point. The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved and eificient unitary structure for accomplishing the operations above stated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined unit of the character indicated which is mounted on the chassis of a conventional three-wheeled tractor truck in a compact arrangement whereby handling of aggregate is facilitated and flexible maneuverability of the unit is obtained.

Another object of the invention is to provide hopper means for a unit, as indicated, which is mounted on the chassis in such a manner that the aggregate received thereby is Weighed and the weight indicated at a point on the-unit and in the line of vision of the operator thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mobile? aggregate handling unit which combines novel feeding means for the hopper thereof and said means. being adapted to be moved from an operative to a non-operative road-clearin position.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a unit as stated, novel and improved hopperfeeding means which embodies laterally arranged side-feeding elements whereby said feeding means elficiently removes material from a pile-for dischargeinto a hopper.

Our invention also has for. its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters desi'gnate similar parts in the several views;

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a mobile aggregate-handling unit embodying features of-the present invention.

Fig; 2' is an enlarged cross-sectionai View" as 2 taken on the approximate planes of line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3' is an elevational View as seen from the material feeding end of the unit.

Fig. 4; is a semi-schematic plan view, to a reduced scale.

The mobile aggregateunit which is illustrated comprises, generally, awheelmounted chassis" 5",

Weighing means 9 connecting said hopper and support frame, a dumping gate I fl'for the hopper, and a feeding device I l including a scoop l-2 carried by the chassis andsupport-frame-forfeedih'g aggregate from a pile into said hopper;

The chassis comprises a frame having sides 13, afront end I4, rearwardinwardly angled portions [5, and an upwardlyand rearwardly'curved goose neck [-6. The latter, by means of a fork I-l, pivotally mounts a rear wheel I 8 which nests in said goose'neck and is steerable through the medium of asteering lever I9 and suitable power advantage gearing 28. A pair of front-wheels 21 support the front end of the chassis-and arem'ounted on end spindlesof a fixed axle 22 secured. to chassis end Ill.

The power plant 6 is generally conventional and includes an engine 23,. a drive 24 from said engine, a differential- 25 at the end of the drive, and a pair' of chain. drives 26 driven from the differential and connected to drive-the wheels 21.

The hopper 7- has an opentop 21 and is rectangnlar in plan. The top of the hopper is framed by side walls 28-, rear wall 29 and front wall 30.

The latter extends vertically from. the topopening 21 to the gate I-0', whereas the side and rear walls from a short distance below the topopening,. are inwardly sloped to form respective converging walls 3| and 32. It will bev seen that the hopper is quite wide. at the top and converges toward gate ID to suitably fit into chassis 5 with ample clearance with chassis sides l3; The bottom of the hopper has suitable clearance spacing weight of the hopper and contents are cradled between the three wheels of the chassis, the gate H! is disposed between wheels 2' I and in desired proximity to the ground sothat no parts of the machineare in the line of discharge of material from the hopper; and'the mass and weight of the chassis and hopper and its contents are disposed on one side of wheels 2! with the mass and weight of the feeding device H on the opposite side.

The support frame 8 is formed to surround the hopper and consists of an encircling frame 33 for the upper portion of the hopper and suitable struts 34 spacing frame 33 from chassis 5. The

. support frame 8 is so formed that no portion -means within box 39 to influence the angular position of a pointer 46 of frame 4!. The latter is so positioned that an operator in a seat 42 can readily view the same and, thereby, be enabled to manipulate the proper controls to stop feed of material to the hopper when the position of pointer 40 indicates that said hopper has received the proper amount or weight of material.

The dumping gate II] is shown as a pair of pivoted members 43, normally closing the discharge opening of the hopper. By means of suitable linkage 44, a control handle 25, accessible to the operator on seat 42, can effect pivoting of members 43 at the point of discharge of the material in the hopper.

The feeding device H comprises a bucket elevator 46, carried by a frame 41, arranged at the front of the chassis 5. The frame 41 extends at a rearward angle upwardly towards and above the hopper. A pair of braces 48 extending from the chassis and frame 8 mount said elevator on a pivot 49 intermediate the length of frame 41. Stop braces 56 engage the frame 4'! below pivot 49 to hold the same at a desired operative angle. The frame 41 has no tendency to pivot of itself since it is heavier at the bottom and, in operation, the thrust, when the elevator is picking up material from a stock pile, is in a direction pressing said frame ll against the stop braces.

The elevator 46 comprises upper and lower shafts 5! and 52, respectively, a pair of spaced sprockets 53 on each shaft, an endless chain 54 trained over the respective sprockets of each pair, and a plurality of scoop buckets 55 mounted across the chains. A drive is provided for the elevator and comprises a drive shaft 56 extending along one side of frame 8, a clutch-included jack shaft 51, driving connection 58 between said shaft and power plant 6, and a driving connection 56 between said shaft and drive shaft 56. The forward end of the latter shaft, within a housing 66, has suitable gearing to drive a transverse stud shaft 6l, which, through the medium of a chain and sprockets 62 and a chain and sprockets 63 drives the upper shaft 5| of the elevator. The upper sprocket of chain drive 62 and the lower sprocket of chain drive 63 are rotatably wound on a pivot 69 and said sprockets are operatively connected. In this manner, the elevator is adapted to be swung on its pivot without disturbing the driving connections therefor. Suitable hoods 64 and 65 are provided to house said chain drives.

It will be evident that the driving means above described, operates the elevator, by means of englue 6, to cause the buckets 55, successively, to remove material from a stock pile and discharge the same into the open top 21 of the hopper. To insure that said material will properly be directed into the hopper, a guide plate 66, connected to frame 41 by suitable brackets 61, is provided, said plate receiving the material from the buckets and directing the same into the hopper.

To render the feed more flexible and reduce the back and fill movements of the machine, lateral feeding means are provided. Said means is shown as a helical member 68 on each lateral extension of shaft 52 and so formed as to gather and feed material toward the buckets 55. Inasmuch as said members 68 reside within the lateral dimensions of the machine, they provide a simple and effective means for feeding material laterally toward the buckets with a minimum forward movement of the machine.

The elevator 46 is kept clear of the ground line to obviate its snagging on uneven projections thereof. The scoop I2 is provided to gather such material as the elevator would ordinarily leave behind. Said scoop comprises a curved blade 69, transversely co-extensive with the elevator and lateral feeding helices 68, and pivotally mounted at 10, by means of arms II, on chassis 5. It will be seen that material received by the scoop is readily picked up by the buckets 55 to effect a clean diminishing of the stock pile.

It will be noted that chains 12 connect the scoop arms TI and the elevator frame 41. These chains are provided for lifting the scoop to clear the ground when it is desired to transport the machine, as over a road. By tilting the elevator on its pivot 49, the lower end thereof is raised to increase its clearance with the ground and, through chains H, upwardly tilt the scoop on its pivot 19 to raise the same from the ground.

While we have illustrated and described what we now regard as the preferred embodiment of our invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention. We therefore, do not wish to restrict ourselves to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire to avail ourselves of all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A machine of the character described comprising a chassis having wheels at opposite rides of its front end and a steering wheel at its rear end, a power plant carried by said chassis in front of the rear wheel having means associated with for transmitting motion to the front wheels, a frame mounted over said chassis, a hopper shiftable vertically through said frame and having a discharge spoutat its bottom extending downwardly through the chassis, a conveyor mounted at the front of said chassis forwardly of the front wheels and serving to carry material upwardly and deposit the material in the hopper, a seat carried by said chassis back of said frame and facing forwardly, a closure for said spout, the closure and the power plant each having control mechanism disposed in front of said seat in position to be readily accessible to an operator occupying the seat, bars at opposite sides of said frame extending longitudinally thereof, brackets pivotally supporting said bars for transverse movement and extending inwardly from the bars, said hopper being suspended from said brackets, arms e'x- 5 tending towards each other from said bars back of said hopper, a balance bar extending transversely of the rear end of said frame over said arms, said arms having their inner ends connected with said balance bar and imparting tilting move- -ment to iit in response to downward movement of the hopper by the weight of material in the hopper, and indicator means for the scale mounted upongithe rear end of said frame in view of a person occupying said seat and connected with and actuated by movements of the balance bar..,

J JACK WILLARD. CARL L. WILLARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

